Chris Eboch, writing teacher, critiquer, and author of books for children and adults, shares articles on the craft of writing plus occasional guest posts or industry topics..

Monday, October 10, 2016

An Online Workshop: Writing Stories for Children #KidLit

Starts Soon - Sigh Up Now!You Can Write Stories for Children

a writing class with Chris Eboch

START
DATE: Monday, October 17, 2016

DURATION:
8 weeks (four classes)

WHERE: Online – work from home at your own pace

COURSE DESCRIPTION:Remember the magic
of bedtime stories? When you write for children, you have the most appreciative
audience in the world. But to reach that audience, you need to understand the
business of writing for children, including the requirements for different
genres, age ranges, and markets. You also need to write fresh, dynamic stories,
whether you’re writing rhymed picture books or middle grade mysteries or edgy
teen novels. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll explore how. You'll leave with a
story in progress and ideas for future development.

Your enthusiasm is contagious, and
the sheer amount of knowledge you possess is fantastic. Your advice was always
spot on. The links to various articles and blogs was and will continue to be
extremely useful.

~ Nancy Partridge

I have to tell you that your
workshop was the one I got the most useful information from. It was quite
informative and introduced me to several trains of thought that were new to me.
~ Donna J. Barland

Thank you for putting together such
a helpful workshop. Of the entire weekend, I think I learned the most
from listening to you. Thanks again for such a great workshop. ~ Linda
Reedy

Just
a quick note to say thanks for your class this past weekend. Your class
on Monday afternoon was my favorite. You gave us very specific things we
could incorporate into our own work. That’s the kind of info I was
looking for when I signed up for the conference. ~ Pamela Haskin

Chris is hands-down one of the best
author-speakers we’ve ever had. I don’t think she uttered a word about her own
life story as many do; she was all about teaching a vital and often forgotten
aspect in our writing. The comments on her were full of grateful praise. ~
Robin Koontz, SCBWI Oregon retreat leader

WEEKS AT A
GLANCE:

Week 1-2: The World of Writing for Children

We’ll start with an
overview of the markets. These include books, magazines, and more. Learn the
specific requirements when writing for different age ranges. This will help you
decide where you feel comfortable – or give you many areas to explore!

Assignment 1: Read 5 to 10
picture books or stories for children or review two recent novels. Brainstorm 5
to 10 ideas using the material provided.

Week 3-4: From Idea to Story

Writing for
children has many things in common with any good writing, and some things that
are special. We’ll explore the essential elements of appealing to children.
Participants will learn how to develop their ideas:

Identify a market

Choose a target age

Match the story
length and reading level to the target age

Develop characters

Create a plot with
conflict and a three-part structure

Focus on young
characters who have control

Assignment 2: Choose one of your ideas and identify the appropriate target age group
and several possible markets. Start developing your characters and planning a
strong plot.

Week 5-6: Develop and Share Your Story

Share your story in
progress (or a pitch/outline for a novel) and receive feedback from the
instructor and the class.

Assignment 3: Pitch your
story. Based on feedback, draft a complete picture book or short story, or plan
a novel.

Week 7-8: The Next Steps

We’ll cover editing
techniques, submitting your work, and your questions. Expect to leave this
workshop with a story in progress, and a list of ideas for future development.

Assignment 4: If you
choose, turn in your final story or novel outline. Develop a plan for next
steps (finishing, editing, querying/submitting/self-publishing your work etc.).

COST:$99, which includes weekly assignments and individual feedback from the instructor. This class
will be conducted through a Discussion Board, with the opportunity for students
to ask questions and post homework samples.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Chris Eboch is the author of over 30 books for children. Her novel for ages nine and up include The Well of Sacrifice, a Mayan adventure; The Genie’s Gift, a middle eastern fantasy; and the Haunted series, about kids who travel with a ghost hunter TV show. Chris’s writing craft books include Advanced Plotting and You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers. Learn more at www.chriseboch.com or check out her writing tips at her Write Like a Pro! blog: http://chriseboch.blogspot.com/.

Chris has her MA degree in Professional Writing and Publishing from Emerson College in Boston. She taught through the Institute of Children’s Literature for 10 years and has led dozens of popular writing workshops around the world.